Pakistan says 26/11 trial to begin next week

Islamabad: Declaring Zaki-ur-Rehman to be the mastermind of the 26/11 terror attacks, Pakistan Saturday said its probe into the Mumbai mayhem was 'almost complete' and the trial of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and four other accused could begin next week.

"Our investigations into the incident are almost complete," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters here after a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal.
"Five of the nine suspects have been arrested and their trial is going to commence probably next week," he said.

Malik also rejected India's allegations of non-seriousness in the probe into the carnage that claimed the lives of more than 170 people, including 26 foreigners and said the delay was not on the part of Pakistan rather it was from the Indian side.

"We were very much serious in the probe and we have successfully completed the investigation against the five accused of the Mumbai terror attacks. India took 90 days to submit its challan while Pakistan has submitted Challan within 70 days," he said, underlining that Islamabad acted very seriously. "So, Pakistan cannot be accused of delaying the investigations."